So, my favorite adhesive to use for scrapbooking and card making is a tape runner. I do use other types of adhesives while working on paper crafts once in awhile for specific jobs.
Liquid Glass is great for those items that need extra "stickiness" like 3-D flowers or metal items or buttons. Tacky glue also works great for these situations as do
Glue Dots. But in general, I want to try to have ONE adhesive on hand that I can use for most paper crafting needs. I've posted about this before, I know! I've tried some other tape runners since then so this is an update to that post. I used to love the old style Duck brand tape runners but they changed their tape runners in such a way that didn't work for me anymore. So I started my search. Here are my criteria:
Portable and small
Strong enough to keep items stuck onto my project but not so sticky that you can't move it at all once it's down
Able to stick most ribbons down
If you are applying it to a small piece or the edge of a piece of paper, it doesn't leave an overhang of adhesive...in other words, it dispenses an adhesive film not little squares or strips of adhesive
Precise applicator (easy to see where you are applying your adhesive)
Mostly invisible (such as under a sheer ribbon or vellum or a clear card)
Easily obtained (getting them online is okay but I wanted to find something that I didn't have to get shipped to me all the time)
Not too pricey
Refillable is a plus but not a necessity
Permanent
So I began my search (and just FYI, this was just a search for tape runners, not glue dot runners). I know many people use and love their Tombow Mono Adhesive tape runners but they just don't seem to stick well enough for me, especially for cards and 3-D projects which get handled a bit. One crafter blogged about how you just need to really make a good seal after adhering with Tombow (like running a bone folder or credit card over what you have adhered). I don't think you should have to take an extra step like that when you are creating and sometimes I can't do that because of the nature of the item I am making.
My first candidate was the Scotch Tape Runner:
I was able to find it easily both at Target and Walmart which are close to me. A bonus was that it was refillable. However, it often (as some other tape runners are prone to do) gets harder to dispense when it is closer to the end of it's tape and sometimes even before that. This makes you push down harder to try to dispense it and due to the way it is constructed, it can leave indentations on your project! Also, my local Target and Walmart stopped carrying this product which gave me no reason (like convenience) to keep buying it.
So my verdict on this tape runner was a definite NO.
Next up was the This To That Glue Runner:
I liked the fact that this was refillable also. It was less easy for me to find close by but I could purchase it at my local Michaels or A.C. Moore. I could also buy it online. This turned out to be too "goopy" for me. The edges of the tape runner tended to ball up and the glue didn't seems to go on smoothly on all surfaces--I had a difficult time using it on some ribbons. It was also more expensive than some of the other tape runners.
My verdict was that it's usable if I have nothing else but otherwise NO.
Next was the Pioneer Photo Memory Fix:
This was my favorite for quite a while. It isn't refillable unfortunately but I could live with that. It stuck items down well and worked great on ribbons. While it was inexpensive, it ran out of tape very quickly. This was not easily available in the stores near me all the time. I had to hunt for it or else buy it online. But what I started noticing more and more was that it also was harder to use as it got closer to the end of the tape (although it did not make those weird indentations like the Scotch brand did if you pushed down harder). It also seemed a bit more prone to getting pulled and then being unusable (especially if I provided it as the adhesive in a workshop I was doing).
My verdict was USABLE but KEEP LOOKING.
Next came the Ad tech Glue Runner:
This seemed to fit the bill! It was refillable and Walmart carried it. the price was great and the tape rolled out smoothly. It could get balled up on the edges but it wasn't too bad. So, Walmart stopped selling it! Arrgh!
My verdict was WHY IS IT SO HARD TO FIND WHAT I WANT?
I was getting despondent and missing my old Duck again when Heather comes to the rescue! She tells me about THIS --
Next up is the Staples Glue Tape:
So far this fits all my criteria. It goes on smoother than any of the other tape runners I've used, it lasts a long time and has a really good price (especially when it goes on sale). I have never had adhesive ball up on the edges. I have never had a workshop participant (even during the kid's camp I ran in the summer) accidentally pull the tape out. It does not get harder to dispense as it nears the end of the tape. It sticks ribbon down wonderfully. And a wonderful bonus is that it has a fold down attached cover right where the tape dispenses out of...not a separate cover to get lost. So my tape can stay clean without me having to keep track of the cover. The best part is that it is readily available for me at my local Staples...and if it is ever out, Staples has super fast shipping (even free to the store)! No more having to hunt it down!
My verdict is YES! It is my new favorite tape runner!
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